Controversial Co-Existence
A Behavioral Design Intervention on Substance Use Disorder Through Involvement of Street Children
Abstract
In the Philippines, mental health disorders are given little attention by the government to act upon because of the public belief that mental illnesses disorganize the societal peace. This dilemma was politically recognized during President Duterte’s War on Drugs which resulted in mass extrajudicial executions and mandatory rehabilitation (Lasco & Yarcia, 2022). In a separate study, abandoned street children are also a marginalized group that lacks guidance and self-education that are necessary for survival. Without guidance, abandoned street children develop psychological afflictions and mental illnesses that may cause neglectful decisions. Since these two marginalized groups have suffered psychological illnesses, the study is initially directed towards identifying similar underlying causes.
The study focuses on the neurobiological and behavioral aspect that facilitates the brain’s reward system and the modulation of dopamine production in stimulant use disorder (Liu & Li, 2018). The significance of a reward system plays a role in the provision of social leisure spaces that boosts morale and motivation in preventing relapses. However, considering a building’s institutionalized design, this procedure is situational. The researcher suggests the application of conditioned behaviorism theory as a method of social facilitation and distraction towards the induced behaviors of substance use disorder. The integration of conditioning behaviorism theories in architecture and social spaces is applied through the intervention of street children and their natural identity to explore and adapt to circumstances. Therapeutic architecture then creates a redefined spatial identity directed towards the spatial egocentricity of the stakeholders to co-rehabilitate by mediating and regulating the reward system to prevent a relapse scenario.
Keywords
Substance - Stimulant Use Disorder, Street Children, Co-Rehabilitation, Behavioral Conditioning, Place and Spatial Identity, Therapeutic Architecture
Architectural Design 9 & 10 / Thesis Design Exploration
Rhinocerus 3D | Adobe Illustrator | Adobe Photoshop
Conclusion
Utilizing behaviorism as an innate natural characteristic of people to understand a phenomenon is just one of the outputs in redefining a spatial identity. As much as the initial input was deemed as rather political, there are passive ways where design imposes against the norm by experience of space.
Through the different conceptual applications to each community, there exists a continuous similarity between the communities that would preserve its spatial-behavioral cycle within architecture. This is through the continuous intuitive interactions as defined by “Place Composition” and “Place Intervention” that constitutes to a Spatial Identity directed in communal rehabilitation.
The overall objective of the study was to portray how architecture can create social relevance as an element of healing communities by imposing its identity to the public. Even in the midst of controversy, war, and poverty, the possibilities of architecture in rebuilding trust in communities generates big impacts in the urban fabric. Where within the loathing of community controversy, there are architectural opportunities in creating co-existence.
